Changed
Chapter 4: Perfect
*- Here is part 4, thanks for the reviews. I hope you keep enjoying it! Please review after you are done.
Disclaimer: I ordered them through amazon.com but they still haven't arrived, so yeah, not mine... yet. -*
Things had gotten much better between Monica and Chandler during the next few weeks. They started hanging out a little more often with Ross and Rachel and when they realized they really enjoyed each other's company they started getting together without them.
It had been 3 weeks since their talk, where Monica had forgiven Chandler, and everything seemed to be going perfectly well. They talked almost everyday and Chandler visited Monica, and vice versa, everytime they could.
Chandler walked into Monica and Rachel's apartment on a Saturday morning.
"Hey" he said to everyone.
"Hi, how are you?" Ross replied.
"I'm good. Hey, are you sure it's ok for me to go to your parents today?"
"Sure man, don't worry about it"
"But it's after all your dad's birthday and he hasn't seen me in quiet a while"
"Don't worry Chandler" Monica said "Dad won't mind, he will be too busy with his friends to worry about an extra guest"
"So, he won't notice if I don't bring him a present either?" Chandler asked, suddenly remembering he had forgotten to buy Jack a present.
"Don't worry, I can say you cooperated with mine"
"Ok, thanks Mon" he said, smiling at her.
"You are welcome. But you owe me one" Monica replied, obviously kidding.
"You can do whatever you want with me later on" he said, playing along.
"Watch out Bing, you have no idea what I could do to you" Monica said and winked at him.
Ross and Rachel exchanged looks. For the past few days Chandler and Monica had been flirting quiet a lot and it was odd considering at first they didn't get along that well, but Rachel thought it suit them. She also figured out that if anything was going on, Monica would have told her. On the other hand, Ross thought Chandler would be smart enough to realize that if he put one hand on his little sister he would be a dead man.
"Shouldn't we get going?" Rache asked.
"Yeah, let's go and try to get a cab"
--
"Ross!" Jack Geller said as he opened the door.
"Hi dad. Happy birthday" Ross said as he handed him his gift.
"Thanks son. Hi Monica"
"Hi dad" Monica said and hugged him "Happy birthday. Here's your gift" she said as she handed him a wrapped box.
"Thanks Harmonica"
At this, Chandler let out a chuckle.
"Dad, we brought Rachel and Chandler" Monica said "Do you remember them?"
"Of course I remember Rachel, how have you been Rachel? And your parents?"
"They are fine, thank you"
"I'm glad" Jack turned his attention to Chandler. "Chandler, is it?"
"Yes sir"
"I don't think I remember you"
"That's ok, I was Ross's roommate ages ago, we only met on one Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the boy who hates Thanksgiving?" Jack wondered.
"That one" Chandler said, feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, come in and join the party" Jack said as he entered his house, the others doing the same.
"I knew this wasn't a good idea..." Chandler whispered to Monica as they entered the house.
"Come on, it's not that big deal" Monica said.
"Of course it is. How nice is it that they remember you because you hate Thanksgiving?"
"But Chandler, they only saw you once, what do you expect? That they know everything about you?"
"Yeah, you are right. Do they... Do they know about the fat thing?" he asked.
"No, I think the only one that knows is Rachel"
"Phew, he would have killed me if he knew I hurt his little Harmonica" he said and laughed.
"Oh, shut up!" Monica said and hit him playfully.
"Monica, dear" Monica heard her mom call her.
"Mom, hi" she said, not too happy to have bumped into her so early.
"How are you?" her mom asked, already pulling some hair over her ear.
Monica sighed "Fine, fine. You?"
"Oh, having a blast"
'Then why don't you go back and keep having a blast?' Monica thought. "Mom, this is Chandler, do you remember him?"
"Umm, not really"
"He came over for a Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the one with the great voice?" Judy asked excited.
Monica laughed "No, the other one that came for Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the one that hates Thanksgiving" she said, her voice now changing to a not so nice one.
"E-exactly"
"Nice to see you again" Judy said to Chandler, obviously not meaning it. She turned around and left.
"Wow" Chandler said "At least your dad was nicer about it. Now I understand all the things you've told me about her"
"I've had to live with that my whole life, imagine how it is"
"Yeah. Now I don't feel welcome at all" he said.
"Come on, Chandler. Don't let that affect you, let's go and have some fun" she said, taking his hand and guiding him towards Ross and Rachel.
--
"So she has been like this all her life?" Chandler asked, still talking about Monica's mom.
"Pretty much, yeah"
"How can you live with it?"
"I can't and couldn't, reason why I left this house as soon as I could"
"What do they see in Ross anyway? I mean, he's a great guy, but you are not far away from him"
"I don't know really. Maybe because he was their first son, I don't know, but inspite of what I do, Ross always gets the credit and I never do. I hate him for that. Well, it's not like I really hate him, because I know it's not his fault my parents prefer him, but I feel angry at him sometimes"
While they were talking on the couch a tall man with a mustache, who looked of about 50 years old, walked towards them.
"Monica?" the man asked, surprised.
"Dr. Burke?" she said as she stood up.
"It's been so long since I last saw you" he said as he hugged her.
"Yeah, very long" Monica replied as she hugged him back "How's Barbara doing?"
"We got divorced..."
"Oh" Monica said "I'm sorry"
"It's ok. We are in good terms anyway"
"That's good" she said, looking at him and thinking how he still look good, inspite of the years. Meanwhile, Chandler was watching all this, hoping that big tree would go away.
"Would you like to go outside for a while?" he asked.
Monica looked at Chandler "Are you ok with this?"
"Oh, yeah, of course" Chandler said, obviously lying, and feeling a little jealous of this guy who had suddenly appeared back into Monica's life.
"Let's go then" Monica said, apparently not getting the fact that Chandler wasn't very fond of the idea.
Chandler sighed and looked around, suddenly getting extremely bored.
--
"I'm going to go inside to get a drink, do you want something?" Richard asked as he stood up from his seat.
"No, thank you"
"Ok, I'll be right back" Richard said as he entered the house. Monica wondered why there wasn't any guy like Richard, but with her age. It would be perfect.
"Monica, what are you doing here alone?" Judy asked.
"Nothing mom, just enjoying the fresh air"
Judy sighed "Monica, honey, when are you going to learn? You can't expect guys to go and walk towards you, you know you are not that attractive, specially if you don't wear some earings that match" Judy said, pointing at Monica's ears "You have to walk towards them, there are a few inside, maybe you'll meet one who can stand you"
Monica looked at her, shocked. She had always been mean towards her, but she had never said such things. "Mom!" was all she could say to complain.
"What? I'm just telling you the truth, Monica. It's time you go and look for someone, you are old enough, you better hurry if you want to get married someday"
"You have no right to say that!" Monica complained.
"Of course I do, I'm your mother"
"And beause you are my mother it gives you the right to treat me like that?!" Monica yelled.
"Don't raise your voice. And treat you like what? With the truth?"
"Ugh, never mind, you'll never understand!" Monica said as she stood up and walked away.
"Understand what?" Judy yelled, trying to get Monica to hear her "Understand what a failure of a daughter I have?"
Monica did hear it, but decided not to turn around. Still walking away, tears started falling down her cheeks, the tears she had learned to hide from her mother so well.
"Ugh, that girl will never learn" Judy said as she walked accross the room. Chandler looked at her, immediately knowing she was probably talking about Monica. He looked around the room and spotted Richard talking to Jack. With that, he knew the chances of Judy talking about Monica were even bigger, so he stood up and quickly went outside.
"Mon!" he yelled as he saw someone with her back at him sitting on an old swing "Mon, are you ok?" he asked as he started approaching.
"I'm fine" she replied quietly.
"What happened?" he asked, kneeling in front of her "What did that bitch do to you?"
"Nothing, she just was her normal self" she replied sadly.
"What exactly did she tell you?"
"In many words she told me I was a failure. She said I would never find someone because I wasn't attractive or anything, so I had to go out there and look for them myself because none would approach me. She said I had to try and find one that could stand me" she explained with a sob "and then she ended up saying it, in one simple word, she finally said what she thinks of me, that I'm a failure. That I'm a failure as a daughter, as a person, as everything" she started crying again.
Chandler immediately hugged her "It's ok, Mon. Don't listen to her, if she says those things about you it's because she doesn't know you at all. You are a wonderful woman, very attractive. Any guy would kill to have you. Even that old guy"
Monica laughed, calming down a bit "You mean Richard? He's not attracted to me!"
"Right, he would ask any girl half his age to go outside?"
"Well, no but-but I'm his friends sister, he was just..."
"He was just nothing, you know I'm right"
"Well, but if I'm not all that" Monica said, going back to the original topic "Why does she say it?"
"I wish I had the answer Mon. Maybe she's just desperate, who knows, I've only seen that woman twice, all I can tell you is that she is wrong. Nothing of that is true"
Monica looked at him in the eye "You really think so?"
He nodded "If I said you were a great woman when I barely knew you, now I can say you are that and much more. I know I've only known you for 3 weeks or so, but so far I know I've found in you one of the most intelligent, funny and attractive woman I've ever met" he said and smiled.
Monica smiled back "Thank you, Chandler"
"You are totally welcome" he said as he kissed the top of his head. "Wanna go home?"
Monica nodded.
"Ok, let's get Ross and Rachel then"
--
Monica, Rachel and Chandler entered the apartment.
"I'm going to rest for a while" Rachel said and walked over to her bedroom.
"Ok" Monica said as she headed towards the fridge "You want something to drink, Chandler?"
"No, thanks Mon, I'm fine" he said as he walked towards the couch and sat down.
After Monica took a can of Coke out of the fridge, she went over to the couch and sat down close to Chandler. That was another thing they were doing often, always hugging, sitting close together or just holding hands.
"How are you feeling?"
Monica shrugged "Better I guess. I suppose I just have to get used to it already. Well, I kind of have, before I used to cry for days, now I only do it for a few hours"
"I can't believe a mom can be like that towards her daughter"
"I can't believe it either" Monica said and looked up at Chandler "Do you think she will ever changed?"
Chandler looked down at her "When she realizes what a great person you are, I'm sure she will"
"I don't understand why she wants me to be so perfect. No one's perfect, not even her, I think it's unfair for her to ask something from me that she can't even do"
"I think it's unfair too"
"I was never the first in everything, I screwed up from time to time, but so did Ross, but for her he's perfect. I don't get it, really. I would like her to be proud of me, proud that I can cook, I don't know, of something, as superficial as it may be"
"I guess we all want our parents to be proud of us, but I'm pretty sure your dad is. You are, after all, his little Harmonica" he said.
"Are ever going to let that go?" Monica asked.
"I don't think so. It's too funny right now"
Monica shook her head "Don't mess with me"
"Uhh, spooky, I better not then" he said and stood up "I should go now"
"Ok. Thank you..." she said and walked over him, putting her arms around his neck and bringing his face closer as she stood on her tip toes "...for everything" she finished as she gave him a short kiss on the lips, meant only as a friendly gesture, but she sure felt something more there.
Chandler smiled, he had felt something too "You are welcome. And if that's the price I get for being a friend to you, believe me I'm always here"
Monica laughed "Good bye, Bing"
"Bye Mon" he replied as he walked over to the door "Oh, and hey" he said as he stopped at the door "I have a good voice, y'know? You'll see someday"
Monica laughed as he opened the door and left.
Monica sat down on the couch and sighed. 'What have I done?' she asked herself 'It was meant as a friendly kiss, but was there something more in there?... Maybe there was'
--
As Chandler walked down the stairs and out to the New York City streets, he wondered the same thing and thought of the same answer.
'Maybe there was'
Sometimes is never quite enough
If you're flawless, then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face
Be a good boy
Try a little harder
You've got to measure up
And make me prouder
How long before you screw it up
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up
With everything I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet
Be a good girl
You've gotta try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough
To make us proud
I'll live through you
I'll make you what I never was
If you're the best, then maybe so am I
Compared to him compared to her
I'm doing this for your own damn good
You'll make up for what I blew
What's the problem...why are you crying
Be a good boy
Push a little farther now
That wasn't fast enough
To make us happy
We'll love you just the way you are
If you're perfect
Perfect, © Alanis Morissette.
To Be Continued...
Here ends part 4. I hope you liked it. Please review :) Next part will be up probably by Sunday or next week.
Chapter 4: Perfect
*- Here is part 4, thanks for the reviews. I hope you keep enjoying it! Please review after you are done.
Disclaimer: I ordered them through amazon.com but they still haven't arrived, so yeah, not mine... yet. -*
Things had gotten much better between Monica and Chandler during the next few weeks. They started hanging out a little more often with Ross and Rachel and when they realized they really enjoyed each other's company they started getting together without them.
It had been 3 weeks since their talk, where Monica had forgiven Chandler, and everything seemed to be going perfectly well. They talked almost everyday and Chandler visited Monica, and vice versa, everytime they could.
Chandler walked into Monica and Rachel's apartment on a Saturday morning.
"Hey" he said to everyone.
"Hi, how are you?" Ross replied.
"I'm good. Hey, are you sure it's ok for me to go to your parents today?"
"Sure man, don't worry about it"
"But it's after all your dad's birthday and he hasn't seen me in quiet a while"
"Don't worry Chandler" Monica said "Dad won't mind, he will be too busy with his friends to worry about an extra guest"
"So, he won't notice if I don't bring him a present either?" Chandler asked, suddenly remembering he had forgotten to buy Jack a present.
"Don't worry, I can say you cooperated with mine"
"Ok, thanks Mon" he said, smiling at her.
"You are welcome. But you owe me one" Monica replied, obviously kidding.
"You can do whatever you want with me later on" he said, playing along.
"Watch out Bing, you have no idea what I could do to you" Monica said and winked at him.
Ross and Rachel exchanged looks. For the past few days Chandler and Monica had been flirting quiet a lot and it was odd considering at first they didn't get along that well, but Rachel thought it suit them. She also figured out that if anything was going on, Monica would have told her. On the other hand, Ross thought Chandler would be smart enough to realize that if he put one hand on his little sister he would be a dead man.
"Shouldn't we get going?" Rache asked.
"Yeah, let's go and try to get a cab"
--
"Ross!" Jack Geller said as he opened the door.
"Hi dad. Happy birthday" Ross said as he handed him his gift.
"Thanks son. Hi Monica"
"Hi dad" Monica said and hugged him "Happy birthday. Here's your gift" she said as she handed him a wrapped box.
"Thanks Harmonica"
At this, Chandler let out a chuckle.
"Dad, we brought Rachel and Chandler" Monica said "Do you remember them?"
"Of course I remember Rachel, how have you been Rachel? And your parents?"
"They are fine, thank you"
"I'm glad" Jack turned his attention to Chandler. "Chandler, is it?"
"Yes sir"
"I don't think I remember you"
"That's ok, I was Ross's roommate ages ago, we only met on one Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the boy who hates Thanksgiving?" Jack wondered.
"That one" Chandler said, feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, come in and join the party" Jack said as he entered his house, the others doing the same.
"I knew this wasn't a good idea..." Chandler whispered to Monica as they entered the house.
"Come on, it's not that big deal" Monica said.
"Of course it is. How nice is it that they remember you because you hate Thanksgiving?"
"But Chandler, they only saw you once, what do you expect? That they know everything about you?"
"Yeah, you are right. Do they... Do they know about the fat thing?" he asked.
"No, I think the only one that knows is Rachel"
"Phew, he would have killed me if he knew I hurt his little Harmonica" he said and laughed.
"Oh, shut up!" Monica said and hit him playfully.
"Monica, dear" Monica heard her mom call her.
"Mom, hi" she said, not too happy to have bumped into her so early.
"How are you?" her mom asked, already pulling some hair over her ear.
Monica sighed "Fine, fine. You?"
"Oh, having a blast"
'Then why don't you go back and keep having a blast?' Monica thought. "Mom, this is Chandler, do you remember him?"
"Umm, not really"
"He came over for a Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the one with the great voice?" Judy asked excited.
Monica laughed "No, the other one that came for Thanksgiving"
"Oh, the one that hates Thanksgiving" she said, her voice now changing to a not so nice one.
"E-exactly"
"Nice to see you again" Judy said to Chandler, obviously not meaning it. She turned around and left.
"Wow" Chandler said "At least your dad was nicer about it. Now I understand all the things you've told me about her"
"I've had to live with that my whole life, imagine how it is"
"Yeah. Now I don't feel welcome at all" he said.
"Come on, Chandler. Don't let that affect you, let's go and have some fun" she said, taking his hand and guiding him towards Ross and Rachel.
--
"So she has been like this all her life?" Chandler asked, still talking about Monica's mom.
"Pretty much, yeah"
"How can you live with it?"
"I can't and couldn't, reason why I left this house as soon as I could"
"What do they see in Ross anyway? I mean, he's a great guy, but you are not far away from him"
"I don't know really. Maybe because he was their first son, I don't know, but inspite of what I do, Ross always gets the credit and I never do. I hate him for that. Well, it's not like I really hate him, because I know it's not his fault my parents prefer him, but I feel angry at him sometimes"
While they were talking on the couch a tall man with a mustache, who looked of about 50 years old, walked towards them.
"Monica?" the man asked, surprised.
"Dr. Burke?" she said as she stood up.
"It's been so long since I last saw you" he said as he hugged her.
"Yeah, very long" Monica replied as she hugged him back "How's Barbara doing?"
"We got divorced..."
"Oh" Monica said "I'm sorry"
"It's ok. We are in good terms anyway"
"That's good" she said, looking at him and thinking how he still look good, inspite of the years. Meanwhile, Chandler was watching all this, hoping that big tree would go away.
"Would you like to go outside for a while?" he asked.
Monica looked at Chandler "Are you ok with this?"
"Oh, yeah, of course" Chandler said, obviously lying, and feeling a little jealous of this guy who had suddenly appeared back into Monica's life.
"Let's go then" Monica said, apparently not getting the fact that Chandler wasn't very fond of the idea.
Chandler sighed and looked around, suddenly getting extremely bored.
--
"I'm going to go inside to get a drink, do you want something?" Richard asked as he stood up from his seat.
"No, thank you"
"Ok, I'll be right back" Richard said as he entered the house. Monica wondered why there wasn't any guy like Richard, but with her age. It would be perfect.
"Monica, what are you doing here alone?" Judy asked.
"Nothing mom, just enjoying the fresh air"
Judy sighed "Monica, honey, when are you going to learn? You can't expect guys to go and walk towards you, you know you are not that attractive, specially if you don't wear some earings that match" Judy said, pointing at Monica's ears "You have to walk towards them, there are a few inside, maybe you'll meet one who can stand you"
Monica looked at her, shocked. She had always been mean towards her, but she had never said such things. "Mom!" was all she could say to complain.
"What? I'm just telling you the truth, Monica. It's time you go and look for someone, you are old enough, you better hurry if you want to get married someday"
"You have no right to say that!" Monica complained.
"Of course I do, I'm your mother"
"And beause you are my mother it gives you the right to treat me like that?!" Monica yelled.
"Don't raise your voice. And treat you like what? With the truth?"
"Ugh, never mind, you'll never understand!" Monica said as she stood up and walked away.
"Understand what?" Judy yelled, trying to get Monica to hear her "Understand what a failure of a daughter I have?"
Monica did hear it, but decided not to turn around. Still walking away, tears started falling down her cheeks, the tears she had learned to hide from her mother so well.
"Ugh, that girl will never learn" Judy said as she walked accross the room. Chandler looked at her, immediately knowing she was probably talking about Monica. He looked around the room and spotted Richard talking to Jack. With that, he knew the chances of Judy talking about Monica were even bigger, so he stood up and quickly went outside.
"Mon!" he yelled as he saw someone with her back at him sitting on an old swing "Mon, are you ok?" he asked as he started approaching.
"I'm fine" she replied quietly.
"What happened?" he asked, kneeling in front of her "What did that bitch do to you?"
"Nothing, she just was her normal self" she replied sadly.
"What exactly did she tell you?"
"In many words she told me I was a failure. She said I would never find someone because I wasn't attractive or anything, so I had to go out there and look for them myself because none would approach me. She said I had to try and find one that could stand me" she explained with a sob "and then she ended up saying it, in one simple word, she finally said what she thinks of me, that I'm a failure. That I'm a failure as a daughter, as a person, as everything" she started crying again.
Chandler immediately hugged her "It's ok, Mon. Don't listen to her, if she says those things about you it's because she doesn't know you at all. You are a wonderful woman, very attractive. Any guy would kill to have you. Even that old guy"
Monica laughed, calming down a bit "You mean Richard? He's not attracted to me!"
"Right, he would ask any girl half his age to go outside?"
"Well, no but-but I'm his friends sister, he was just..."
"He was just nothing, you know I'm right"
"Well, but if I'm not all that" Monica said, going back to the original topic "Why does she say it?"
"I wish I had the answer Mon. Maybe she's just desperate, who knows, I've only seen that woman twice, all I can tell you is that she is wrong. Nothing of that is true"
Monica looked at him in the eye "You really think so?"
He nodded "If I said you were a great woman when I barely knew you, now I can say you are that and much more. I know I've only known you for 3 weeks or so, but so far I know I've found in you one of the most intelligent, funny and attractive woman I've ever met" he said and smiled.
Monica smiled back "Thank you, Chandler"
"You are totally welcome" he said as he kissed the top of his head. "Wanna go home?"
Monica nodded.
"Ok, let's get Ross and Rachel then"
--
Monica, Rachel and Chandler entered the apartment.
"I'm going to rest for a while" Rachel said and walked over to her bedroom.
"Ok" Monica said as she headed towards the fridge "You want something to drink, Chandler?"
"No, thanks Mon, I'm fine" he said as he walked towards the couch and sat down.
After Monica took a can of Coke out of the fridge, she went over to the couch and sat down close to Chandler. That was another thing they were doing often, always hugging, sitting close together or just holding hands.
"How are you feeling?"
Monica shrugged "Better I guess. I suppose I just have to get used to it already. Well, I kind of have, before I used to cry for days, now I only do it for a few hours"
"I can't believe a mom can be like that towards her daughter"
"I can't believe it either" Monica said and looked up at Chandler "Do you think she will ever changed?"
Chandler looked down at her "When she realizes what a great person you are, I'm sure she will"
"I don't understand why she wants me to be so perfect. No one's perfect, not even her, I think it's unfair for her to ask something from me that she can't even do"
"I think it's unfair too"
"I was never the first in everything, I screwed up from time to time, but so did Ross, but for her he's perfect. I don't get it, really. I would like her to be proud of me, proud that I can cook, I don't know, of something, as superficial as it may be"
"I guess we all want our parents to be proud of us, but I'm pretty sure your dad is. You are, after all, his little Harmonica" he said.
"Are ever going to let that go?" Monica asked.
"I don't think so. It's too funny right now"
Monica shook her head "Don't mess with me"
"Uhh, spooky, I better not then" he said and stood up "I should go now"
"Ok. Thank you..." she said and walked over him, putting her arms around his neck and bringing his face closer as she stood on her tip toes "...for everything" she finished as she gave him a short kiss on the lips, meant only as a friendly gesture, but she sure felt something more there.
Chandler smiled, he had felt something too "You are welcome. And if that's the price I get for being a friend to you, believe me I'm always here"
Monica laughed "Good bye, Bing"
"Bye Mon" he replied as he walked over to the door "Oh, and hey" he said as he stopped at the door "I have a good voice, y'know? You'll see someday"
Monica laughed as he opened the door and left.
Monica sat down on the couch and sighed. 'What have I done?' she asked herself 'It was meant as a friendly kiss, but was there something more in there?... Maybe there was'
--
As Chandler walked down the stairs and out to the New York City streets, he wondered the same thing and thought of the same answer.
'Maybe there was'
Sometimes is never quite enough
If you're flawless, then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face
Be a good boy
Try a little harder
You've got to measure up
And make me prouder
How long before you screw it up
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up
With everything I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet
Be a good girl
You've gotta try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough
To make us proud
I'll live through you
I'll make you what I never was
If you're the best, then maybe so am I
Compared to him compared to her
I'm doing this for your own damn good
You'll make up for what I blew
What's the problem...why are you crying
Be a good boy
Push a little farther now
That wasn't fast enough
To make us happy
We'll love you just the way you are
If you're perfect
Perfect, © Alanis Morissette.
To Be Continued...
Here ends part 4. I hope you liked it. Please review :) Next part will be up probably by Sunday or next week.